TORONTO, September 26, 2011 – CNIB announced the appointment of Jane Beaumont as its new national board chair and launched its new official organizational tagline at the charity’s 93rd annual general meeting on Saturday.
A member of the national board since 2005, Ms. Beaumont served as the chair of the program and services committee. She is active on a national working group to promote and implement the Initiative for Equitable Library Access, a partnership involving all levels of government, public libraries and CNIB as key stakeholders.
“Ms. Beaumont brings a wealth of knowledge to her new post, including an extensive background in accessible libraries and core service delivery,” says CNIB’s President and CEO John Rafferty. We couldn’t be more pleased.”
CNIB’s new tagline, ‘Seeing beyond vision loss’ encompasses all that the charity does to serve Canadians who are blind or partially sighted. In the next 20 years, the number of people with significant vision loss is expected to double from 876,000 to 1.5 million.
“CNIB’s goal is to create a better Canada – one in which every Canadian has free access to the information and resources they need to prevent avoidable eye disease, and the quality rehabilitation services they’ll need if they should ever lose their sight,” says Ms. Beaumont. “We’re committed to creating a more inclusive society for people with vision loss and challenging misconceptions of what it means to be blind or partially sighted.”
Less than 35 per cent of CNIB’s total funding comes from government sources; the charity relies on public donations to help it to be there for everyone who needs its services.
About CNIB
CNIB is a registered charity, passionately providing community-based support, knowledge and a national voice to ensure Canadians who are blind or partially sighted have the confidence, skills and opportunities to fully participate in life. To learn more, visit cnib.ca or call the toll-free CNIB Helpline at 1-800-563-2642.
For more information, please contact:
Sarah Snowdon, Specialist, Corporate Communications
416-486-2500 ext.7157
Fax: 416-480-7700
sarah.snowdon@cnib.ca